Two dead in Global City shootout

Two men who robbed a taxi driver were killed yesterday morning after a brief shootout with responding policemen inside the Global City in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

Authorities identified one of the fatalities as Erlindo Bokul after recovering fake Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Army identification cards in his possession. His companion has yet to be identified.

The two men sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were killed on the spot. Bokul’s body fell into a creek, where it was recovered by members of the Southern Police District Scene of the Crime Operation (SPD-SOCO) team.

Bokul and his companion shot it out with five members of the Police Community Precinct 7, led by station commander Inspector Jimmy Mandario. None of the lawmen were injured.

The robbers’ victim, Miguelito Castillos, 29, of San Jose, Del Monte, Bulacan, also escaped unhurt. Police recovered Castillos’ earnings worth P800 and a wristwatch which the suspects earlier divested.

Initial investigation showed that the two men hailed and boarded Castillos’ cab (PXA 679) at around 1:25 a.m. outside Fort Bonifacio’s Gate 3, near the Pasong Tamo Extension.

Inspector Eduardo Paningbatan, newly appointed chief of the Taguig police Station Investigation Division (SID) said Bokul and his companion announced the holdup upon reaching a dark portion of the area near Gate 1.

The duo pulled out their weapons – a gun and a bladed weapon and ordered the taxi driver to hand over his day’s earnings and his watch. They then ordered Castillos to get out of the cab.

As the robbers drove away in his taxi, Castillos gave chase and shouted for help.

This caught the attention of Mandario and his team, who were on board a police car, patrolling the area. The officers caught up with the suspects and ordered them to stop.

Instead of surrendering, however, the robbers fired at the policemen, forcing the lawmen to return fire.

Paningbatan said Bokul and his companion are believed to have been behind the series of robberies at the Global City.